The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-01-01
The Mountain Sampson.


ne following: "About sixty years
ofip0re since there lived in Nicholas
|tnAnty one of the strongest men the
tpuntry ever produced. Daniel Hol-
'lflay was a man about forty years of
tge when first knew him in 1925
lie was at that period one of the most
noted hunters in the country; tall.
about ak fee. in his mOccasins !;
weight about two hundred and sixty
pounds, raw-bOned and muscular
perfect type of physical manhood.
|Dne peculiar feature of Holiday was
he fact that he had no ribs. Where
hisribs ought to haye been there Was
-oAd bone. His arms, chest and limbs
Atsea mass of muscle. l have known
Halliday TO tie his right hand behind
mig back and with the free arm to
w two of the best athletes in the
,leighbOrho0d. His feats of strength
were astonishing and of daily occur
renee, but perhaps the one, which,
Irom its odhi!y, attracted the greatest
attention, was his bare handed fight
with bear.
Holiday had often laughingly said
he believed he could whip bear
with his bare hands in a square pitch
ed battle. One day while hunting in
The mountains he shot at and woun-
ded large buck, which ran into the
laurel brush. Holiday saw that it
was desperately wounded and fol.
lowed it by the drops and clots of
blood on the leaves. He had forgot
ten to reload his rife, and Was walk
ing along the mountain side trailing
the buck, when he came TO a large
tree which had been uprooted by a
storm, leaving a large cavity under
the Overhanging roots. In this hol-
low, which was pretty well filled
with leaves, large bear lay curled
up asleep. The footsteps of Holiday
aw0ke his bearship, and he arose on
his launches and growled. When
Holiday came in sight the bear arose
and walked toward him growing.
Just before he reached Holiday he
got up on his hind feet and came to
him, his little piggish eyes swapping
with mischief. Holiday threw his
rifle, which was unloaded, to the
ground, and prepared himself for a
fair, square fight with natures weap-
ons. 1t would have been an interest
ing sight to spectator at safe dis
tance-a man trying to whip a big
bear with his bare hands. The bear
walked up within reaching distance,
when Holiday struck him on the
nose, knocking his head to one side
and making him snort with rage.
He followed up his advantage and
landed severa! blows on the beasts
sides and neck, paying very little at.
tenti0n to the rules which govern the
ring. The bear, like all his species,
though an adept at sparring, was not
quick enough to guard himself from
the blows of his human antagonist or
to intlict any injury with his terrible
claws. In about two or three min
utes Holiday had struck and kicked
the bear until he had knocked the
breath out of him. Aud he seemed
anxious to quit, when Holiday land
ed terrible blow ON his stomach.
This mode of warfare disguised the
bear, and he drew off and lay down.
BY this time Holiday thought it
time to end the affair, and reached
for his gun. Before he could load it
the bear, who must have gotten his
second wind. got up and came at him
again in deadly earnest. This time
the fight was worse than before. The
bear made several attempts to strike
and claw Holiday. but the later was
too quick for him and gave him u
fearful blow on the ear, making him
whine. Holiday followed this up
by kicking him and banging him on
the nose and any where he could. The
blows on the nose seemed to have a
decided effect. for it was not long be-
tore the bear dropped on all fours and
retreated to the hollow, where he
laid down, whining like a whipped
child. Holiday then quickly loaded
his gun and shot him dead.